


Sacrifices Chosen

by myahoo



Series: Dragon-Fire AU [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Dragons, Gen, POV character dies, Rated T To Be Safe, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:47:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23431912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myahoo/pseuds/myahoo
Summary: On Vormir, Natasha and Clint grapple with who will get the Soul Stone. Someone else makes the decision for them.Then, a dragon refuses to let his ward die.Major Endgame spoilers. Takes place in my Dragon-Fire AU.
Series: Dragon-Fire AU [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1040993
Kudos: 2





	1. Vormir

**Author's Note:**

> Written almost immediately after Endgame came out; I just never got around to posting it. Second chapter will go up momentarily.
> 
> Endgame spoilers for Vormir and the end. Non-canon to my Dragon-Fire AU. Unbetaed.

Nat sat on a piece of rubble, staring down at the ground in thought, while Clint paced. A soul for a soul, the guardian had said and the two were grappling with the concept and what would have to be done. Sa’voren flicked her tail and got to her feet, padding unnoticed to where the guardian stood.

She stared up at him, tail curling and uncurling thoughtfully until he looked down at her. _-Do you know where it goes? When it’s traded?-_

“That is something I am not privy to,” it replied, catching Nat and Clint’s attention.

“What isn’t?” Clint’s voice was sharp. Gravel crunched as Nat cautiously got to her feet, but Sa’voren refused to turn away.

_-And the soul required, can it be any soul?-_

It paused. “Any soul which is loved by those present to bear witness.”

“Sav?”

She snorted. _-So, yes.-_ When it turned its gaze on her, she rolled her eyes meanly, lips peeling back from her fangs. _-All souls are loved, even and especially despite those who would wish otherwise. Just because those who love them aren’t present doesn’t mean they won’t bear witness.-_ She got to her feet and stretched, catlike, before resettling her wings.

“What do you think you’re doing?” That was Nat, sounding like she suspected what Sa’voren was about to do and hoping she was wrong. Clint hid a flinch, but Sa’voren felt his soul tremble.

Sa’voren huffed a light laugh, looking back over her shoulder at the two she’d arrived with. _-You think I’m really gonna answer that?-_

Nat slowly began shaking her head, carefully approaching her as though Sa’voren wasn’t paying close attention to the distance between them. “Don’t. Don’t do this, Sav. You and Clint, there’s a family waiting for you guys.”

_-And you think they’re not waiting for you too?-_ Sa’voren smiled. _-You’re family too, Nat.-_ She shrugged. _-Besides, what else did you think I’d do when my soulbond can’t see-feel me anymore? The only thing that’ll hurt is his heart.-_

“Sav.” She stilled. “ _Please_.” She closed her eyes, heart twisting at Clint’s voice. Hoarse and heartbroken, blinded by the realization that the only other pieces of his heart he had left were both here. The last pieces of a life and family he hadn’t ever thought he’d get back and they had to trade one of them for the Soul Stone.

And he still couldn’t even see her.

_-I’m sorry.-_ Sa’voren whispered, wings snapping out a moment before Nat lunged and throwing herself out of the way with a twist. She immediately had to pull up as Clint shot an arrow into her path, pride and grief filling her at her soulbond’s skill. Even when he couldn’t see her, even when he hadn’t been able to feel her in _years_ , he still knew enough to know how she’d move.

Still, they were groundbound while she had the sky. All she had to do was wingover and then _drop_.

Not that things could ever be that easy. She rolled as another arrow shot past her and right into a pair of hands that tossed her further into the sky. She was a _dragon_ , though--she _lived_ in the sky--and this time, she rocketed downward, catching the trailing line of Clint’s arrow in her claws. She drew even with Nat, slipped under grabbing arms, and slapped the arrow into the slot at her belt. She then dove to the other side and activated the grappling line, pulling her wings in to drop out of the way as Nat crashed into the wall of the cliff. Falling backwards, she watched Clint reflexively brace himself at the abrupt weight, Nat catch her breath with widening eyes, and then hollow dragon bones hit stone and she knew no more.

On the edge of the cliff, something in Clint, some small, solid part of him that had escaped the fissure where his family once was, something that he’d lost awareness of when Loki hit him with the Mind Stone, lit up as though struck by lightning. It _glowed_ in his mind’s eye, bright and searing like an explosion, and, _oh_ , that was _Sav_ . He barely had a moment to remember what it felt like, what he’d missed so _desperately_ it’d become a _part of him_ , before it _tore_ right down the middle. A ragged, bleeding edge, like someone had grabbed the other end and _yanked_ until they separated, and he _reached out_ , _finally_ remembering _how_ only to feel as though someone had stabbed him in the diaphragm. He fell to his knees as something began to happen around him, things somehow getting brighter _and_ darker at the same time, and he closed his eyes, curling up around the intangible wound in his gut.

When he came back to himself, there was a dark sky above him and a new ache in his heart. Somehow, he found himself in the pools on the surface of Vormir and he gingerly pushed himself upright to take stock of his situation. Nearby, Nat took a moment to stumble over to him before wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his neck. He wrapped an arm around her and tried to breathe through the pain.

It took a moment for him to notice that his other hand was holding something, but he only tightened his grip. He suspected he knew what it was, but…he wasn’t ready to look at it just yet. Not with Sav’s last thought-feelings bouncing around in his skull.

And the replies she’d never get a chance to hear.

~~_I love you I’ll miss you You’ll be alright_ ~~

_(I’ve missed you since I lost you. I don’t know how without you. I have_ always _loved you._

_…goodbye, soulbond.)_


	2. Avengers Compound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fa'loraen _refuses_ to let Tony die.

Thanos drifted away into dust and Tony… Tony leaned against a piece of rubble, heart straining to keep going as his life-mate, life-friend, and chosen-child gathered close. He and Mm’aryn shared a grimace as Peter was hit by the realization that Tony…would likely die. When Pepper replaced him, Fa’loraen sighed and moved forward.

Sliding between Pepper and Tony, Fa’loraen tapped the suit thoughtfully. _-We’ve come a long way from Afghanistan, haven’t we.-_ He glanced up at Tony, who looked too drained to respond. _-But I think…you’re not done just yet.-_

There was dawning hope in Tony’s family’s eyes, but Mm’aryn rumbled in concern. _-Are you sure?-_ She hesitated and continued quieter. _-Do you think it’ll work? He’s not yours, after all.-_

Fa’loraen snorted. _-He’s mine_ enough _and I’ll_ make _it work.-_ He glanced around at the fallout of the battle. _-Besides, it’d be a shame to lose someone so brilliant.-_

Mm’aryn hopped down, rubbing her face against his neck in a comforting motion, before backing away. _-I trust you. And…goodbye, Raen.-_

_-I’ll see you in the skies.-_ He returned.

Refocusing on Tony, he dove for the connection between their souls, something not quite soulbond or anything specifically recognizable but a bond nonetheless. Experimentally, he funneled energy down the link and watched Tony’s soul rally against the gaping darkness sitting just out of reach. The Infinity Stones. Fa’loraen grimaced and funneled more energy down the link, hearing Tony’s breathing and his heart start to steady. Another push…and that gaping hole started siphoning his energy off again, but Fa’loraen snarled and threw himself at that connection, feeling the Stones stubbornly refuse to move.

He backed off, shoving more energy Tony’s way to keep him steady, and circled around the Stones’ connection. Parasites that they were, they’d dug into Tony’s soul, the same way Obadiah Stane once had, and the easiest way he could think of to remove them was to…remove them. So, he did.

And they _burned_ but he didn’t stop because Yinsen had wanted him to watch over this man like a guardian angel and he’d come to love him as he did Yinsen and he’d been _happy_ for him. An actual _family_ , life-friends, sitting at the very forefront of tech and innovation, and a _hero_. The very _best_ of them even and he _refused_ to let these shadows-cursed _Stones_ be the end.

The moment the very last of them was kicked _far_ away from Tony, he poured his soul and magic into Tony’s, tugging at the gauntlet until human hands pulled it off. He reached out to Mm’aryn, silently asking if she could grab a Life-Player for Tony’s side, and she was gone. Under his claws, Tony silently reached out, asking what _exactly_ he was doing, but Fa’loraen ignored him. And, unfortunately, Tony _did_ pay attention to those he considered his and what they had to teach him and he quickly figured out what Fa’loraen was doing.

He refused, of course. Tried to funnel the energy back to Fa’loraen, but it was a simple thing to bat his attempts aside and pour even _more_ down the connection. He tried to cut the connection, but that was not a thing that could be done without killing one of them and Tony might have gotten increasingly desperate…but not _that_ desperate. Somewhere behind them, he felt Mm’aryn return and the chorus of a Life-Player was relieving to hear. At least he wouldn’t accidentally fuck something up trying to keep Tony alive.

It felt like it went on forever, but when he finally stopped and looked around, it had probably only been about fifteen minutes. Tony whimpered and shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position as he continued to recover, but he didn’t get a chance as Peter tackled him in a hug. Pepper leaned against Rhodey as tears ran down her cheeks, smiling in relief at the sight of Tony quietly but characteristically complaining under Peter’s weight.

Fa’loraen stumbled back, let everyone gather around to celebrate Tony’s recovery, and dropped to the ground beside Mm’aryn and the Life-Player with a sigh.

_-How much longer?-_ Mm’aryn murmured.

_-Not long.-_ The Life-Player answered, eyeing him critically.

_-And Tony?-_

_-The dragon-soul will be fine.-_ He turned his gaze to Tony. _-Might have some small bits of Wisp-shadow magic for a bit, but that’ll fade.-_

Fa’loraen nodded. _-That’s good. He deserves it.-_

The Life-Player snorted skeptically, but every human-friend thought their human was the best and every Clan dragon thought the human-friends odd, so he didn’t take offense. He was too tired to anyway.

“Raen?”

All three dragons turned to face the humans and grief once again shadowed their faces. Pepper reached out and bundled Fa’loraen into her arms, pressing her forehead to his.

“Thank you,” she said, quiet and vehement. “Thank you, thank you, _thank you_.”

Fa’loraen huffed. _-I’d do it again.-_

_-Not that you_ can _.-_ the Life-Player muttered, only to flinch away as Mm’aryn snapped her jaws at him.

_-Shut. Up.-_ She bit out, flames wisping off of her.

“Why?”

Fa’loraen blinked and peered over Pepper’s shoulder to where Tony was leaning against Rhodey. _-Why shouldn’t I have?-_ he returned rhetorically. _-And besides, Yinsen would’ve wanted me to.-_

Tony made a wounded noise, clearly caught off guard, and lowered his head. “…was that always part of the plan?”

Fa’loraen rested his head on Pepper’s shoulder. _-No. But you have a family waiting for you. And a life to live.-_ He paused, thoughtful, and smiled. _-Don’t worry, though. I’ll be fine.-_

“ _Thank you_ .” Because the parallels _had_ to be as clear to Tony as they were to him.

_-Live well. And I’ll see you in the skies.-_ Fa’loraen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and sighed.


End file.
